Lilia has risked her life for half of a year, spreading the Ukrainian symbols all over Kherson. She spayed graffiti on walls, distributed anti-Russian leaflets and posters, and fled from Russian armoured vehicles... And she kept it a secret for the entire time, even from her family...
All I did was always aimed at our people, to show them that they are not abandoned, that partisans are actively working, and that everything will be fine. I felt sorry for the Ukrainians I saw walking around so sad, and I truly wanted to help and support them in some way. This was also my way of expressing my civic duty.
Lilia has lived in Kherson throughout the entire period of its occupation by Russia. Since she had no plans to leave her hometown, she chose resistance and became an activist of the 'Yellow Ribbon' organization in May 2022.
"From the start of the war, locals gathered, banded together, and rallied against the Russian presence. The But Russians remained silent for some time before initiating a crackdown. They had no idea why we reacted with such hostility to them. Their surprise was obvious, and we realized that they had been fed another fairytale, that they were expected here and would be welcomed. Yet, there was this opposition, curses, and so on."
Lilia initially looked for a group to join. But launching any joint action at first was very difficult as the city residents became understandably suspicious. The population of Kherson was kept in fear by the new authorities.
One day, Lilia met her neighbor, a former Ukrainian policeman, who kindly advised her to bite her tongue and avoid discussing anything related to the war or politics, even with her family, and refrain from expressing any pro-Ukrainian sentiment during these difficult times. Following his advice, she did so.
"Perhaps my children suspected something; I'm not sure if they noticed the paints I bought back then. However, they never asked, and I never told."
Lilia was one-on-one with her goal, waiting for the right moment to draw something patriotic on the silent streets filled with troops. And the spray paint was so trappy loud.
"Of course, it was terrifying. Each time, my heart was pounding, and my hands shook. The Russians patrolled the streets in their massive APCs. It happened a few times: I had just finished my work, drawn, or pinned something, looked back, and no one was there. In a split second, here they are, suddenly, they show up!"
Once, things got so dangerous that the 'Yellow Ribbon' coordinators told Lilia to delete their contacts and stop participating in these activities for her own safety. But she never did. She said that not having those connections would drive her insane. "They were asking the wrong person," she said, "I would never do it."
Lilia engaged in various activities, including the distribution of patriotic leaflets in support of the Ukrainian people, the pinning of posters opposing forced passportization and the referendum on the annexation of Kherson to Russia, sharing the information on Russian troops and services location with the AFU, painting graffities, and, of course, yellow ribbons.
"I completed various tasks to speed up Ukraine's victory over the enemy and contribute to the cause."
Since she didn't have a printer, she created stencils and manually painted some items based on the provided templates.
Lilia says, she always double-checked her works the next day to see if they were still there. She had to repaint them on occasion because the occupiers had disfigured them. Once, she noticed that someone else had improved her piece of work. Of course, she knew she wasn't alone, but seeing the evidence of it warmed her heart.
"I only saw one partisan in all that time. I couldn't tell if it was a he or she because their clothes covered them. After some heavy rain, one pro-Ukrainian poster became loose, so this unknown partisan came with a bucket of glue. I was nearby, doing my part. As I crossed the road, the individual promptly began walking away. I thought, 'carry on with your task, friend,' but refrained from saying anything."
Lilia was later revealed to be responsible for 80% of the creative resistance in Kherson. She was surprised herself. She also found out that the Russian Federal Security Service was looking for her -- no surprise there!
My grandfather and two of his friends joined the partisans at the age of 19. He went through the whole of WWII. I guess, it's just in our blood. We are the Ukrainians.
Lilia and her work emerged as a symbol of local resistance, drawing attention from numerous Ukrainian and foreign reporters eager to learn more about her active past. During one interview, she expressed that, after the liberation of Kherson, it was difficult to believe the war was still ongoing. However, the missile attacks on Kherson didn't take Russia too long.
Now, Lilia is finally on the other side of Russia's grasp, enjoying the fact that its occupational forces couldn't crack her, not even close.
